Main ring for rigid airships



Oct. 21, 1930. K. ARNSTEIN MAIN RING FOR RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed Aug. 30, 1929' Patented Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL ARNSTEIN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GOODYEAB-ZEPPELIN CORPORATION, OI! AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE MAIN RING FOR RIGID AIRSHIPS Application filed August 30, 1929. Serial No. 389,400.

This invention relates to the rigid superstructure of airships and it has particular relation to transverse frames or main rings utilized in such airships.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a wire braced main ring which possesses the combined qualities of lightness and rigidity.

Heretofore, rigid airships have been provided with main rings which were composed of one polygonal ring, in which each of the trusses forming the ring included one or more sides of the latter. Wire bracing interconnected various joints or corners of the polygonal ring and imparted radial stiffness thereto. However, because of the relatively small width of the ring with respect to the longitudinal axis of the airship, it was not sufliciently stiff properly to resist forces tending to warp or buckle it away from its median plane. Assembling frames were required for manipulating and erecting such rings during construction of the airship.

In building the larger sizes of airships, it

is very desirable that the main ring be sufiiciently stifi to resist such warping or buckling forces without employing an assembling frame, while it is being incorporated into the hull superstructure. Although main 3o rings have been constructed in which each girder forming one side of the polygonal ring was polygonal in cross-section, or composed of built-up girders, there are certain sizes of airships wherein this type of inherently rigid main ring cannot be utilized to advantage because of its relatively great weight, and its relatively great cross-sectional size adversely limits the gas volume of the airship.

According to this invention, a pair of ring girders mounted in spaced relation are provided, and angular girders, preferably of polygonal cross section, are secured therebetween in such manner that their apexes project radially inwardly in the median plane of the main ring. Such angular girders embrace two or more sides of the main ring. Wires for bracing the structure are interconnected between the various corners of the ring.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, of which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical cross-sectional view of an airship hull, in which a main ring built according to the invention is incorporated Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational viegv of the construction shown by Figure 1; an

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a main ring constructed according to the mvention.

In practicing the invention, a main ring 10 is vprovided which is rigidly secured trans versely of longitudinal girders 11 to form the rigid superstructure of an airship hull. The outer portion of the main ring comprises two spaced ring girders 12-having spaced joints 14 and 15 that define the corners of the polygonal main ring. Posts or relatively short girders 17 having their outer ends connected to and between the rings 12 at the joints 14, project substantially radially inwardly and their inwardly projecting ends are included in joints 20, in which angular girders 21 are also connected. It will be observed that the apexes, at the joints 20, of the girders 21 project inwardly toward the center of the main ring adjacent the inner end of the post 17. The ends of the angular girders 21 are connected between the ring girders 12 at the joints 15. At the sides of the upper portion of the main ring, the angular girders 21 embrace three sides of the ring and are braced by girders 22 that are similar to the girders 17. Also, the lower portion of the ring 10 is reinforced by a framework 23. Wires 24 connected to the various joints 14 and 15 and to the framework 28 provide a bracing for the ring. For the sake of convenience only a portion of the wire bracing is shown.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a ring constructed according to this invention is sufiiciently rigid to be manipulated without requiring special assem bllng frames during the construction of the airship hull, and at the same time the main ring is relatively light.

Although I have illustrated only one form 100 which the invention may assume and have described that form in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a rigid airship, a wire braced main ring comprisin a plurality of adjacent ring girders and stiiIening girders arranged about the inner portion of the main ring and projecting inwardly to follow substantially geometric chords of the main ring.

2. In an airship, a wire braced polygonal main ring comprising a plurality of spaced ring girders, st1fiening members secured between the spaced girders and projecting inwardly of the main ring obliquely away from a plurality of the corners of the main ring.

3. In an airship, a wire braced main ring comprising two spaced polygonal ring girders arranged in parallel planes, and angular girders secured between the ring girders and having their apexes projecting inwardly in substantially the median plane of the main ring, each angular member extending over two or more polygonal sides of the main ring.

4. In a rigid airship, a wire braced main ring comprising two spaced polygonal ring girders of substantially equal size, relatively short supporting trusses having portions thereof secured between the ring irders adjacent a plurality of corners o the ring girders, said su porting trusses projecting substantially ra ially inwardly of the main ring, and girders connected to the inner end portions of the short supporting trusses and etween the ring girders at locations spaced from the short supporting girders.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

Signed at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, U. S. A., this 29 day of August, 1929.

KARL ARN STEIN 

